Matt Lande is an alternative artist with quite a diverse underground following due to his experimental musical nature. His latest independent release “Aftermath” marks his 5th full length studio album. Lande started from a small Florida town, working his way out and into signing and fulfilling 2 different record deals. These days he produces and mixes his own music and admits to being a mad scientist in his Portland, OR studio. Outside of the music, Matt has worked as a double, stand-in and background actor for shows such as Grimm, The Librarians and Portlandia. He has also worked on the films Dead Air, Lean On Pete and Wild.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Matt about motivations, challenges, the latest project and more.
Full Q&A along with links and streams below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
Originally I’m from New York but my family moved to a small Florida town when I was 2 years old. That’s where I grew up. I’d say my style stems from what I listened to a bit as a kid, mixed with what’s modern and influential for me today. I generally write music on my acoustic guitar and move into the full production from there, incorporating melodic and powerful electric guitars, keyboards, orchestra, bass, drums and whatever other funky stuff I put in there when producing.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to stay the course?
I hadn’t planned on choosing music as a career. I was pulled into it. A local band in FL heard that I played guitar and kept asking me to join their band. I wasn’t any good and had a ton of anxiety with playing in front of anyone but decided to give it a shot. From there I started writing music and moved into singing, producing and more recently, the art of mixing.
How is your new release different than previous ones? Did you set out to accomplish anything specific?
The new album ‘Boxes’ is the one that I am probably the most proud of. I finally took the step to fully produce and mix an album myself. It was a ton of work but so rewarding. ‘Boxes’ was also mastered at Abbey Road Studios and I had the privilege of being there for the process.
Do you face challenges as an indie musician in a digital age? How has technology helped you (assuming it helps)?
It’s definitely a challenge. You have to stand out with not just the music you do but also with the image you portray. Your engagement with fans is very important as well. There are so many outlets online for indie musicians and their music but many places are a lot of hype and BS so you have to do your research and find the ones that are truly worth your time.
Where can we connect with you online and discover more music?
My official website is www.MattLandemusic.com. There you can find links to all of my social media spots as well as merch, music, music videos, blog, etc.
Anything else before we sign off?
Thank you so much for the interview. I hope we can do it again in the future.
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